International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[chickengr]

So sorry you lost the one. I use to help them but chicks that don't hatch there is usually something wrong with them and you definitely don't want to breed that forward. Unless it is from shrink wrapping or something I did to cause them to not be able to hatch.

I helped a chick to hatch. she was the only chick that hatched with very low temperature (34 celsius instead of 37,5), on day 23 and the egg was 19 days old. she is a very healthy hen, around 3 years old.

 

[Chooks man]

Hatch is finished. I managed to save the little one that needed assistance. Unfortunatey, the last one that pipped was not so lucky. I could hear chirping and decided to wait rather than assist. It ran out of oxygen and didn't make it. That breaks my heart. To know it was close enough to hatch and I didn't help is just devastating to me. So we have 14 healthy little ones. The one I assisted is still drying off but fully absorbed the yolk. Rough journey for it but she's going to be fine.

don t give your self a hard time .you have done extremely well from posted eggs . you should be very proud .never mind that chick you couldn t safe .
when working with chooks leave your heart some where safe .not with chooks I guaranty you that .they will smash it into little peaces .
take t easy ,you will last long and you will be able to breed great BCM .

I hatched last season 700 chicks or over . 200 chicks died at various ages and different causes .natural selection .minimum medication and interference . .all free ranging in big areas .
300 chicks or more where butchered or culled at 5 months old or over .
left with 200 now and I started going through last selection to cull all the pullets who under perform . by the end I should have 50 correct high stock marans breeders .
I do not keep chooks that need too much attention and help .

chooks man

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

here guys what my note book are sating .
all the pullets that hatched in day 21 they start laying at 6 1/2 months old /7 months .70 pullets where marked
all the pullets that hatched after day 21 start laying after 8 months old or later . 110 pullets
eggs hatched at 19/20 day turn up boys except 2 pullets . 20 chicks .

hatching trouble chicks is not that difficult BUT breeding from them is all DIFFERENT STORY .

Marans chooks are poorly bred internationally . people just want dark eggs regardless of the future outcome . bad practice . please don t full into this trap .

breeding healthy functional chooks ,who can breed them selves.ear in ,year out without problem should be the goal . dark egg and type are bonuses .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

my 4 darkest eggs laid yesterday . my youngest pullets they will be 8 months old in a week time .
number 7/8 on the color chart . photos don t do them justice .we all know that. so I took few different shot .different place and different angle .
I need to trap those girls .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

So sorry you lost the one. I use to help them but chicks that don't hatch there is usually something wrong with them and you definitely don't want to breed that forward. Unless it is from shrink wrapping or something I did to cause them to not be able to hatch.

I m with you 100% in this one , we only breed from chicks that hatched by them self .day 21 .
we can help chicks to hatch and let them grow .no problem in there . but we can not breed from them .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

I understand that line of thinking. I can't say I'm that person though. I used to breed dogs and I can't tell you how many puppies I have literally brought back to life. Not one of those puppies suffered a life of low quality or was hampered because it survived with assistance. I feel a strong sense of responsibility for these little lives that we choose to [UN-naturally] bring into the world. If we are going to leave it up to nature then so be it. If we are going to intervene [ie artificially incubate] then we have already chosen to take on a responsibility to that life from beginning to end.
The chick I lost is a good example. I had been listening to it chirping so I knew it could breath. At the same time, I was still helping the other chick out of her shell and running on no sleep for the past 30 hours. So once I got the first chick safely hatched, I checked for chirping on the last chick and decided to just take a two hour nap. In the meantime, the chick ran out of air, unable to externally pip due to the fact it was another huge chick with no room to move. That was it's only weakness. When I got up I knew before I even picked it up that it was too late. She was a fully formed, yolk absorbed, properly positioned chick that simply didn't have enough room to zip. I feel terrible for letting her down. My gut instinct had told me to open her up and see where the beak was and I didn't do it. It's that balancing act between being patient and knowing when to step in. I'm still learning.
Thank you so much for your condolences... and for you advice. It's truly much appreciated.

30 hours no sleep helping chick to hatch ,you are very ,very determine person . great quality to have ,
wishing you all the best with your chicks and in life too .

chooks man

 

[marchick]

my 4 darkest eggs laid yesterday . my youngest pullets they will be 8 months old in a week time .
number 7/8 on the color chart . photos don t do them justice .we all know that. so I took few different shot .different place and different angle .
I need to trap those girls .
View attachment 2279923View attachment 2279924View attachment 2279925View attachment 2279926
chooks man

Beautiful! Love the color, shape and speckles.

 

[Chooks man]

Beautiful! Love the color, shape and speckles.

thank you .
I m well pleased with the youngest group pullets .they exhibit all the good marans traits .
next time when I m in the farm I will focus to catch those girls . actually I need to tag all of them recording to the eggs they lay .
all the 25 pullets from this group are keepers and breeders for sure .great foundation for my future BC .BLC ,SP and Golden cuckoo lines .

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

@TheBajan
can you please post some photos of the newly hatched chicks .love to see they hatch down pattern and they type.

chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

my 2 years old hens re-start laying ,last month of the winter down here . planing of breeding few of them this spring .only the ones they performed well last breeding season ,only few hens .

Black copper 3 hens = Gazelle .Amor and Philippines . they will be penned with BC cockerel from group#6 youngest one Zambezi #2 . his sister proven to be dark eggs layer . plus he is early maturing type and has a complete body pattern .

Solid Black = Shiva and Ravendale they will be penned with Blue Dark cuckoo S/s+ Baheema no relatted to them . they will produce solid Black /blue and cuckoos Black/Blues .

Splash = Dalakhania penned with Khabib Splash copper . from a same line .half sibling .Khabib daughters from a Dominant white hens lay dark 5/6 colored eggs . I m penning 2 recessive white hens with them .

chooks man